The Autobot Autocracies
by Fastern
Summary: TFA / The stories of Autobots, as told in quick drabbles and musings.
1. I

**A/N:** Another distraction from my usual ongoing multichaptered stories. Boy, did I need a break, and little drabbles were the answer to everything!

I'm estimating about ten series of these things, maybe a little more. They're kind of vaguely in chronological order, but only vaguely. Once everything gets going, the central characters will likely include Team Prime, Team Athenia, Wheeljack, and Perceptor, though lots of characters are also present. I should also mention that Autobots are the only focus of these series. (Though there may be exceptions.)

…I guess that's everything you need to know. Enjoy. (:

* * *

><p><strong>Allegiance<strong>

'What will it be? Are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?'

Kup doesn't want to answer. He doesn't want a war. He doesn't want to fight against his Decepticon friends, though they had long since been separated by differing opinions and changing tides. He kept denying, kept avoiding the subject, knowing the whole time that he'd soon have to choose a side like everyone else. What he hadn't known was that today was that day.

What's worse, he knows Alpha Trion isn't leaving without an answer.

**Training**

He singled out Warpath because he knew he could train him, like one might train a wild animal.

Warpath. Ex-Decepticon. Now he wore an Autobot insignia and despite the fact that he'd signed on of his own accord, he didn't seem very appreciative. He'd spent his fair share of time guarding the Stockades and the rest haunting some desolate, dark corners of the commonwealth.

Some said that Warpath, who'd killed before and wasn't afraid to do so, couldn't be brought down by anything.

Yet before Yoketron, Warpath lay helpless on the dojo floor.

He would learn.

**Crowded**

Every extra cycle Beachcomber spends on Cybertron, the more crowded he feels. It isn't just a matter of the skyscrapers and tunnels and Cybertronians bearing down on him like dead weight, like he was being buried alive.

It's about the fear that crowds the street.

He takes the first transport out and doesn't look back.

**Serious**

'You can't be serious.'

Impactor said it, though he knew from experience that Ultra Magnus was serious about everything.

'If the Decepticons become violent, I want you to offline Megatron,' Ultra Magnus repeated. 'Without Megatron, they won't be able to rally. Stop the Decepticons from rallying and you stop a war. Remember that when the time comes.'

How can Ultra Magnus expect him to choose between his sense of honour and the life of a friend?

**Right Now**

Right now, Wheeljack hears rumours of massacres and murders and war, rumours he knows aren't true for the most part.

Right now, he sees Perceptor – his old rival in school – rising up, while leaving him in the dust.

Right now, Wheeljack tinkers with his projects in the dark, saying he enjoys the isolation and lying through his dental plates.

Right now, Ultra Magnus is hovering in his doorway, telling him that they need his help.

**Anticipation**

'Have you been keeping up with the news lately?'

'Huh?'

'Y'know, all that stuff going on with the Decepticons.'

'Nope. I don't think it matters all the way out here, don'cha think? I mean, all that's just political stuff, right? It doesn't affect us.'

'Yeah, you're right. All that stuff just happens on Cybertron. It never gets this far out.'

**Uncertainty**

Ultra Magnus wants to make the right choice. They'd lived in peace alongside the Decepticons for stellar cycles and all of them had friends and colleagues in the ranks of their enemies. Still, he let the High Council discuss the situation freely, and the meeting ends badly. Mirage storms out. Ultra is reading over Mirage's letter of resignation, stating that he wants no part in it. No part in breaking up the Cybertronians.

Mirage is wrong, though. He doesn't want them to split up, but maybe that's the right thing to do.

He is accustomed to knowing what's going to happen, to see the consequences of his decisions. But this time, he's completely blind.

**Machine***

'I've been working all night!' exclaimed Perceptor. 'I can't live like this! Do I look like a machine to you?'

Mainframe folded his arms.

'…Do I look like a machine that can work all night to you?' Perceptor corrected.

**Isolate**

Mirage lightly touched the Autobot insignia imprinted on his chest plate. Was this right?

He didn't regret defending the Decepticons, because of one thing he was certain: they were victims, not criminals. They were just doing what they felt was right and that had erupted into tension across the commonwealth. Now Decepticons were killing Autobots, and Autobots were killing Decepticons, and Mirage could plainly see that everything was plummeting into chaos while Ultra Magnus seemed to be doing nothing about it.

He didn't regret defending the Decepticons, except for when Autobots looked in his direction and behind their optics was a sort of malice.

Mirage the Sympathizer. Mirage the Traitor. Mirage, who Autobots look at with contempt and avoid him when their paths cross.

Never before has he felt so isolated.

**Phase**

It's just a phase. It's just a phase.

Brawn hid in the mines of his home, going through the motions, and telling himself that there won't be a war. Soon everything will settle down between Autobots and Decepticons.

Then, in the middle of the work day, everything comes to a grinding halt, and it's announced over the speakers, in a whimsical and frightful tone that echoed in his head for stellar cycles to come.

'_War_.'

* * *

><p>*<strong>Machine:<strong> Since this takes place before the war, my head canon says that at this point in time, Perceptor still has his emotions. This naturally provokes an emotional response.


	2. II

**First Impressions**

Highbrow is overlooking the new recruits. Most of them have never seen a day of combat. The majority are young mechs only a few centuries old, who think that the prospect of fighting is romantic and daring.

Arcee doesn't fit the bill. For one thing – being a femme – she is considerably smaller than her mech counterparts, but what she lacks in strength she makes up for in agility and versatility. Still, when spoken to face-to-face, she is soft-spoken and kind, if a bit hot-headed and mouthy if you know what buttons to push. She isn't a soldier. She's a diplomat who doesn't belong on the front lines.

One day, Highbrow takes a small brigade of the trainees out for field training, Arcee included. All of a sudden, he feels something hot hit his back, followed by wrenching, blistering pain. He collapses forwards and belatedly realizes that he's been hit by a Decepticon blaster.

His first thought is: "Damn, what are the Decepticons doing out here?"

His second thought is: "_Damn_, and I'm out here with a bunch of new recruits!"

The trainees scatter in panic to preserve their own lives. It's what any Cybertronian would instinctively do.

But when Highbrow turns off, Arcee is standing over him, blaster in hand and shooting at the approaching Decepticons.

**Silence**

When Impactor accepted him alone out of fifty candidates for the Wreckers, Springer thought he was leaving behind the silence and inactivity of his own home.

He'd expected war would be brutally noisy.

Only now he stands in a field of corpses and it's deathly quiet.

**White**

'Why do we have to be painted white?' Ratchet asks at the last class.

'So everyone knows we're medics,' his classmate answers.

'I don't see why we have to be white,' says Ratchet. 'It only makes us easier targets.'

**Risks**

Springer goes back to his hometown one last time before he sets off with the Wreckers on a long-range mission. (They'll likely be gone for stellar cycles.)

'Brawn, just come with us,' Springer urges over a cup of Athenia's infamous dreaded oil. 'The Wreckers can use someone with your experience.'

'What, you sayin' I'm old?' Brawn demands gruffly.

'I'm saying that we can use everyone we can get.'

'…You don't expect to come back, do you?'

Springer shrugs. 'One of the rules of the Wreckers is "think positive." Don't expect death.'

He doesn't fool Brawn. Brawn is never fooled.

'I'm not going on a suicide mission,' Brawn says. 'I've been on suicide missions before. Why do you think I went home after the last one and vowed to never go out in the field again? Why do you think I still have nightmares about the good Cybertronians I saw die?'

'The war will spread,' Springer continues. 'Nothing will be spared – not even Athenia.'

'I'm not going, Springer. The risks are too high and you shouldn't go either; you'd be wasting your life.'

Springer doesn't tell Brawn how the situation seems to be contrary to what he says. Brawn seems to be the one wasting his life on this asteroid, hoping that the war will somehow spare his home. He's living in a fantasy that will soon be shattered.

**Understanding**

'You did _what_? !'

'Hey, he asked me to, and I did it,' Wheeljack defended.

'But you – but you – _emotions_? !' Mainframe exclaimed. 'How could you delete his emotions? !'

'He asked me to do it, so I did!'

'That isn't any reason to delete his emotions! (I didn't even know that was possible…)'

'He would've found a way to do it himself, anyways. At least if I helped him, it would been done thoroughly and correctly. I didn't want him to get hurt.'

'Jack, I don't think you understand the magnitude of what you've done! This is insane! What am I going to tell Ultra Magnus? !'

Mainframe walked away in frustration.

Wheeljack looked after him sadly. 'I do understand.'

**Difference**

After a while, some 'bots came to say that there was little difference between the emotionless Perceptor and the Perceptor before he became emotionless. But Wheeljack knew this wasn't true.

The old Perceptor had been introverted, but lively and passionate about everything he did. He poured his spark into his work, his dedication only matched by his dry wit that helped him survive the worst situations.

But now, Wheeljack found himself being the one who provided the passion, the dedication, and the wit, while Perceptor worked quietly in the corner and told him to stop with the senseless noise. The old Perceptor used to love the random experiment that had no apparent purpose; the new Perceptor only found them a nuisance. He _was_ different.

**Why?**

From the moment Prowl is protoformed, he is tagged to be a soldier.

That's what all Autobots do, he notices. They're raised to be soldiers. From the start they're surrounded by a world that embeds the hatred of Decepticons into their mind and for the most part it works and within years, Prowl sees friends go off and be killed by an enemy they never see.

He then asks a question that makes heads turn and desecrates the badge he wears.

'Why?'

**Selection**

Highbrow looked at her with a mysterious and proud gaze. 'You've been chosen.'

'Chosen?' repeated Arcee. 'Chosen for what?'

'For a confidential assignment,' said Highbrow.

'Sounds serious.'

'It is. I should tell you this before I inform you of your assignment: it is _extremely_ dangerous. You can decline now if you value your life and no one will hold it against you.'

'Why the heck would I decline? ! What's the assignment?'

He underestimates Arcee every time.

**Resistant**

'He isn't ready.'

'He's going to have to be.'

'_He isn't ready_.'

'We don't have a choice,' Ultra Magnus turned on him. 'Autobots are dying and Omega Supreme is the only one who can stop the enemy. It's time to put his training to practical use. You're thinking like a doctor, cadet, but we have a war to fight and as Omega's mentor, you have to start thinking like a soldier. Have him prepared to leave tomorrow.'

Ultra Magnus left Ratchet standing in the observation room, overlooking the place Omega had called home since he'd first come online. He was reading a philosophy book Ratchet had thought would encourage him to think beyond his programming.

Yet all the while, he was still a weapon of mass destruction. Ultra Magnus would make sure he stayed that way.


	3. III

**Fate**

'Warpath?'

'What?'

'I need you to do something for me.'

'What is it?'

'I heard a rumour about a promising young Autobot who I think has the potential to be a member of the Cyber-Ninja Corps. Unfortunately, he's also a deserter.'

'Deserter? You want me to knock some sense into him?'

'No, just retrieve him and bring him to me. I'd go after him myself, but I'm afraid the situation with Lockdown forces me to remain here. Just go find him. And _don't_ hurt him.'

'…Not even a little bit?'

'Not even a dent.'

'…Fine. I'll go get the deserter, but I won't like it. What's his name?'

**Outsider**

Despite the violence, the completion of the Omega Sentinels renews the morale in the Metroplex. They decide to celebrate, for everyone is looking for any reason – no matter how small – to celebrate in these dark times.

It's at the gathering that Ratchet meets the Autobots bonded to the other Omega Sentinels. They're all clear choices for this assignment. They're confident, able-bodied soldiers prepared to accept orders without question. In a nutshell: the ideal Autobots. What's more, they're drawn together by similarity and circumstance, and they spend the evening in the center of the room, regaling tales of campaigns they've fought in.

Ratchet is the exact opposite. He's the second choice. The underdog. An accident. While they tell stories, he hovers on the edge of things and no one takes much notice of him.

Even among his own kind, he's an outsider.

**Call**

'You're asking too much,' Drift shook his head. 'Those are my friends out there! How can I fight my friends? ! I'm a Decepticon – how can I betray my own kind? !'

'What about that Autobot prisoner you let escape?'

'That was different.'

Kup put a servo on Drift's shoulder. He cringed at the contact. Most Decepticons would've tried to kill him by now, though it was for that reason that they were dead. 'If you want to do what's best for the Decepticons, change sides and save them from themselves.'

**Distraction**

'No.'

'C'mon, Percy!' Wheeljack steps right into the scientist's path. 'I only need, like, ten credits or something! Just enough to place a bet on the Iacon 5000!'

'Those bets you place are just distracting you from the bigger picture,' Perceptor reasons. 'In addition, I already lent you twice that amount last megacycle and you still have not repaid me.'

**Colourless**

Springer starts to go colour-blind shortly after the Wreckers resolve a situation on Pova in the usual fashion of gun-slinging and kicking Decepticon tail plates.

At first, he can't see certain shades of red. Then he can't see bright, vibrant colours; only hues of blue and purple and so on. Then he wakes up from a heavy recharge and finds that everything is in greyscale. What's more, the Wrecker's medic can't give him any explanation for his condition.

Impactor, in the meantime, speaks of making every Decepticon accountable for the Autobot losses. He says in a passionate voice to his Wreckers: "It's justice…justice for every 'bot who's paid the price in the line of duty. Show no hesitation and no mercy. Remember, the Autobots are the light and the Decepticons are the dark; they _have_ to be extinguished in order for our society to move forwards. There is no other alternative…"

**Tomorrow**

'Why do I have to destroy Decepticons?' Omega asks.

Ratchet wants to tell him that he doesn't have to, but he has orders that he daren't disobey. 'Because it's the only way to save Autobot lives.'

Omega's simple processor accepts the response, but it's clear that he's disturbed by an awareness seeded deep within his mind.

'Tomorrow you'll feel better about it, Omega,' Ratchet consoles. 'Why don't you go recharge?'

**Justified Actions**

When Drift arrives, tension hangs high in the air and nobody is sure what Yoketron is thinking. Warpath decides he has to rectify the situation, so one day, when Drift is wandering the compound on his own, he corners the 'con and beats him until he's lying comatose in the infirmary.

Yoketron is furious.

'He's a Decepticon, so – BANG – I did what Autobots do,' Warpath justifies.

'He is no longer a Decepticon!' Yoketron presses. 'You, of all Cybertronians, should be sympathetic to his situation! A part of him will always be tied to the Decepticons, yes, but he has also renounced those ways and what he was is now in the past. I expect _all_ students – past, present, and future – to accept him as one of their own!'

'I don't care. I did what any Autobot would do to a Decepticon. If I hadn't, he would've done something much worse to one of _us_. Decepticons need to be taken care of before they take care of us!'

'…If Decepticons are as vile as you seem to think, then why did he never throw a single punch back?' asked Yoketron.

Warpath doesn't have an answer for that.

**Betrayal**

Back among the Decepticons, Drift had heard stories about Warpath, but thought they'd just been fables loosely based on a dramatized truth. What he soon learns is that the truth is dramatic in every way.

Initially he'd thought he would find a kindred spirit in Warpath because of their similarities. After all, they were both ex-Decepticons, both associated with the Corps, and – heck, it's even clear in the way Warpath speaks and moves that he's Decepticon bred. It's the sort of company Drift has been missing ever since he defected. But that hasn't been the case. Warpath does not speak of his past and he pretends it never happens.

After the attack, Drift makes a point to avoid Warpath and vice versa. That doesn't stop him from wondering what he'd done to provoke him; Warpath's hatred of Decepticons can't be _that_ strong.

Yoketron later explains it. Warpath's hatred of Decepticons _is_ that strong, but there's another reason.

Drift is proud of his Decepticon origins. Warpath isn't.

**Tread**

'Blech!'

Brawn sighs and looks in exasperation at his companion.

'What is it this time?' Brawn demands, shouldering his blaster.

'I just stepped on something slimy!' the Autobot exclaims. 'And it _moved_!'

Brawn peers wearily down at the oil seeping in around his knees with the distinct feeling that they are about to be attacked.

**Out of Control**

Iacon is trying to rebuild after the recent bombings. Arcee is comatose. There's news that Primal Major and a crew of forty-three on board Alpha Supreme have disappeared – presumed destroyed – and Autobots are calling for revenge. The Magnus is preparing a fleet.

Ratchet knows nothing good will come of this.

**Nicknames**

Everyone at the dojo has a nickname. There's Fistface, Sound Effects, X-Con, Mr. T, and many more. Even Prowl has one. It's "Smiles." He won't admit it to anyone, but he actually thinks it's amusing, except for when someone yells "Hey, Smiles" when Dai Atlas is in earshot. Regardless, it makes him feel like he belongs.

Oil Slick has a nickname, too.

Everyone out there is talking about the Decepticon Menace. In here, everyone is talking about the Decepticon Chemist.

Everyone laughs. Everyone thinks it's funny and ironic.

None of them have any idea how accurate they are.

**Fathom**

Wheeljack returns to the laboratory waving a datapad. 'Latest on the death toll, Perceptor.'

'How many?' Perceptor doesn't even look up from the electron microscope his optic is glued to.

'A lot.'

Wheeljack scans the list, unconsciously searching for names familiar to him. It's hard to fathom that all these names belong to Autobots who once lived and breathed and felt, but who are now charred corpses floating through space.

**Successful**

Wheeljack laughs. 'SUCCESS! WE DID IT! I'm a genius, I tell you! GENIUS!'

'Our success in this endeavour does not require maniacal laughter,' Perceptor says flatly. 'And might I add that my intelligence considerably exceeds yours.'

'Lighten up, Percy.'

'Do not call me "Percy."'

**Gesture of trust**

'Slaggit!'

Brawn struggled valiantly against the trap, but the more he struggled the more the trap tugged back.

The trap should've killed him. He was fortunate (or unfortunate) that at the last minute he'd seen it coming, jumped a quarter to the left, and the trap had consequently snagged his foot. Now, aside from the intense pain radiating up the right side of his body, he was incapable of going anywhere without ripping his whole leg off, and, _on top of it all_, he was deep in enemy territory and the Decepticons were mere minutes behind him.

He made a conscious decision that if he couldn't get free in the next five cycles, he'd tear his leg off. It wasn't his favourite idea, but it might be his only option.

At the sound of movement, he grabbed his blaster and fired a shot off. The Decepticon he'd fired at – having just turned the corner – ducked back out of sight. The 'con fearlessly emerged after a few nanokliks. Brawn prepared to fire again.

'Don't shoot!' The Decepticon raised his servos in defence. 'I'm going to free you.'

Brawn eyed him. 'Why?'

'Because it's been a long day and I'm tired; trust me, okay?' the Decepticon took a step closer, only to come face to face with the barrel of a blaster. 'Look, neither of us wants this. If you're captured, the other Decepticons in my brigade will offline you slowly and painfully. Believe me, if this was your run-of-the-mill battle, I'd be happy to fight you, but not like this. Just _trust_ me.'

Brawn heard some raised voices from somewhere nearby. He knew by instinct that they were Decepticons.

He lowered the blaster and, before he could really react, the Decepticon had come within killing range and released the trap. Injured, but still able to walk, Brawn stumbled back and disappeared.

He didn't fully comprehend what had happened until he was back among Autobots. For the first time since the war started, he thought that maybe the prospect of peace has some merit.

**Hurt**

Ratchet cringes and protects the injured Autobot as a portion of the trench slides onto them. When it's still, he turns back to his patient.

'Will this hurt? !' wails the Autobot.

'Yes, it will,' Ratchet replies. He knows there's no point in menial lying. He turns to the Autobot's friend, who hasn't left his side since his comrade fell. 'Hold him down and whatever you do, _don't_ let go.'

It's times like this – when his patient is howling and squirming underneath the scalpel – that he misses his EMP generator.

**Deny**

'Your experiments are unconventional and deadly…Even Decepticons would hesitate to use your "Cosmic Rust…" Request denied.'

Oil Slick storms out of the Ministry of Silence and for not the first time, his request to develop weapons has been denied. That means he has to go back to his laboratory and develop them in secret.

He squeezes the vial in his servo.

"Even Decepticons would hesitate to use Cosmic Rust…"

Maybe it's time to put that statement to the test.


	4. IV

**Run Away**

Prowl freezes just as he's about to enter the shuttle and realizes that someone is watching him. It's Drift. They've never been friends, but there's never been malice between them, so when Drift asks him where he's going, he willingly explains his situation.

'You're just running,' Drift says. 'It's not worth it, Prowl, and it won't solve any of your problems.'

Maybe it won't, but Prowl still leaves to find a place where he can just be alone.

**Inevitable**

Ultra Magnus slams a fist on his desk. 'What I want is for all this to end!'

'For the war to come to a close, we might have to make some sacrifices,' Alpha Trion persists. '…You saw Highbrow's report. If we don't find a way to end this quickly, we'll have to surrender within six megacycles with a loss of eighty-eight percent of the population.'

The leader of the Autobots averts his gaze and stares out the window, to the billboards above the streets of Cybertron that spread false messages of hope.

**Collapse**

'You can't reassign me!' Springer shouts. 'I'm your second-in-command! You _need_ me on this mission!'

Impactor rolls his optics. It's clear that he'd expected this response. 'The Wreckers are getting killed faster than we can replace them. While I take the senior members out to confront the Brigade, you have to stay here and find new recruits. You're the only Autobot whose judgement I can trust.'

'But – but – this is the Decepticon Heavy Brigade!' argues Springer, arms flailing manically. 'You can't expect me to sit back and let you fight the Decepticon Heavy Brigade all on your own!'

'I'm not fighting them alone. It's final, Springer. I'm not changing my mind.'

Springer hates Impactor for leaving him behind. He hates not being there to fight alongside his friends and comrades, but makes the best of his situation.

He later hears that the Xantium's been destroyed. No survivors.

**Stupid or brave?**

Red Alert has spent the war picking apart the shells of offline Decepticons and hiding in the shelters whenever the enemy came calling.

Then she gets tired of hiding. She gets tired of hearing stories of the front lines, about the glory and the horrors, about the Autobots who lie dying in their own mech fluid on the battlefield.

However, she doesn't think about doing anything about it until she hears that a fleet of Decepticons are heading towards Iacon City at sublight speed, so instead of boarding the evacuation ship, she transports to the surface of the planet and straight into the chaos.

**No time**

'Perceptor!' Wheeljack hollers in frustration. 'We have to leave _now_!'

'As soon as I have completed this equation,' Perceptor says calmly.

'Equations? EQUATIONS? The Decepticons are _bombing the Metroplex!_ This is no time for mathematics! I never thought I'd have to say this, but _science_ _must_ _wait_!'

Wheeljack grabs Perceptor by the arm and wrenches him away from the computer, just as the ceiling above the station collapses in.

**Meeting**

Red Alert meets Wheeljack when she's treating an Autobot she found lying out in the middle of the street and is so engrossed in her work she doesn't see the building toppling down on her.

It's Wheeljack who frees her from the wreckage – the Autobot she'd been treating has already died – and they hurry to a nearby shelter. While they're running, the sky seems to be falling, and she belatedly realizes that it isn't the sky that's falling; it's thousands of Decepticon troops descending on the city.

She's shaking badly and can barely walk, yet Wheeljack is as calm and can be and pushes her into the trench. She runs into another face she recognizes, but does not know personally.

'Wheeljack!' Perceptor says. Though she hears that he has no emotions, his tone suggests something equivalent to anger. 'Do you realize what you have done?'

'I had to do it; I couldn't leave her out there,' Wheeljack defends. '…Besides, if we're all going to die today, at least I got to save a life before I went.'

She doesn't know it yet, but she's just rendezvoused with her future.

**Memory**

Kup is surprised when he survives his encounter with Straxus, albeit with heavy internal injuries, an optic ripped out, and an arm blasted off.

Unfortunately for his post-traumatic stress disorder, he receives no damage to his memory core in the fight.

He thinks that Straxus enjoys tearing Autobots apart a little too much.

**Sorry**

Ever since Omega was put into modified stasis, everyone's been telling Ratchet how sorry they are and what a loss it is. He's pretty sure that the only thing Ultra Magnus is sorry about is that all of the Sentinels are now gone and he no longer has weapons to use as leverage against the Decepticons, but even he manages to make it sound sincere.

They've all seem to have forgotten that Omega isn't dead. Someday Ratchet will bring him online again.

**Keepsake**

When Wheeljack is cleaning out his computer, he uncovers the original plans to the Omega Sentinels. He even finds a small model that he, Perceptor, and Mainframe had made, and for the longest time, he stares at it, wondering if he should dispose of it.

Already 'bots are talking about preserving the objects that represent the experiences and the memory of the war. It is a piece of the past.

But all Wheeljack wants to do is forget, so he throws the model away.

**Warning**

Megatron is a mysterious character who few Autobots had come into contact with and lived to tell the tale. He has a commanding presence. His optics demand respect. His sultry voice draws Ultra Magnus in, the same way he drew in the Cybertronians who were known as Decepticons. But at this point in time, Megatron is the leader of a defeated group of outlaws and he glares at the Magnus with putrid hate.

'Exile,' scoffs Megatron. 'An unfit end.'

'Either it's exile or I allow the Autobots to hunt you down like you once attempted to hunt us down,' cautions Ultra Magnus, clutching his hammer. '…And I'll let the Autobots do what they wish with _any_ Decepticon they capture.'

While Megatron is tyrannical and lustful for Cybertron, he also knows that Ultra Magnus means it and he has to keep the welfare of his Decepticons his first priority. It's the first priority of any good leader. 'We'll leave then. But be warned…' Megatron glares. 'I _will_ return to Cybertron, I _will_ take it for the Decepticons, and, most important of all, I _will_ find the Allspark. You are only postponing the inevitable, Ultra Magnus.'

Ultra Magnus watches Megatron leave along with his entourage of Elite Guard soldiers.

'Then I'll postpone it for as long as I can,' the Magnus finishes.

**Opportunity**

'You want me to work with you?'

'Sure, what the heck?' Wheeljack says. 'Course, Perceptor's totally against the idea, but I think we need someone around the lab who has some semblance of a sense of humour. You won't get another opportunity like this, R.A., so I suggest you take it, unless you _like_ working on the Moonbase…'

She grins. 'When can I start?'

**Recover**

Athenia has lost everything. It's lost its buildings, three-quarters of its population, its dignity, and – most of all – its spirit. A matter of megacycles ago it was fully engulfed in a war to which there seemed no end to. Now it's eerily still and Brawn finds himself rummaging through the rubble that stands where his apartment used to be.

At night it's a different story. There's fireworks and laughter and he gets together with the few of his friends who survived the war, but they don't talk about the fighting. They just drink until they can't remember anything past a few hours ago, which is perfectly fine by him.

All he cares is that it's over.


	5. V

**Ambition**

It's the first day of the rest of his life.

Optimus goes around and makes an attempt to be friendly with his boot camp classmates. There's five of them altogether. One of them is Sentinel. Sentinel already has a bit of a reputation among select groups of Autobots; from what he hears, he's something of a protégée, so he makes a point to introduce himself.

'Yes, it is an honour to meet me, isn't it?' Sentinel beams. 'Yup, you're talkin' to a future Academy graduate, Elite Guard member, second-in-command, and then – _Magnus_.'

Optimus suddenly feels ashamed that his long-term goal is to visit Maccadam's and survive a round of their infamous brew.

**Good enough**

When he recovers his senses, Optimus and his boot camp classmates are covered in dents and scuff marks, not to mention he can barely stand up. The solitary optic of the drone blinked, seemingly mocking them.

'That's not good enough,' says Kup. 'Keep trying. We're not quittin' until you beat this thing.'

To Kup, nothing ever seems to be "good enough."

**Curiosity**

Blurr _knows_ they shouldn't be sneaking out, but for some reason they're doing it anyways.

'Cliffjumper,' Blurr turns to his classmate. He doesn't know him well; they only met because Highbrow personally selected them as candidates for Cybertron Intelligence. That only adds to the reasons to _not_ sneak off. 'Why exactly are we doing this?'

'We're going to Maccadam's,' answers Cliffjumper.

'…But…we could've done it tomorrow, which would have resulted in us not getting in trouble for sneaking off of campus in the middle of the night…'

'Well, _duh_, I know that,' Cliffjumper rolls his viz scanners. '…I just wanted to see if we could sneak off without getting caught.'

**Bane**

'A favour?' Optimus repeats.

'I'll never ask for anything ever again!' Sentinel pleads. 'If you don't help, I'll get kicked out of boot camp! I'll never get into the academy! C'mon, you gotta help me out here!'

'I'm not – well, I, uh…okay, fine. I can't stand you looking at me like that. Just don't ask for any more favours.'

**The Good Ol' Days**

'We should get together sometime!'

'Yeah, we should! Whatever happened to those good ol' days?'

Ratchet answers the question in his mind. _The war happened._

**Roots**

While Sentinel was protoformed in Iacon City and knows all the hot spots, Optimus and Elita are new to the area, so they decide to cut out on their usual routine and tour the local museum. It's a strange, vacant place that seems to carry a great burden that Optimus can't quite explain as he sees the exhibits and learns more about the history of Cybertron.

'It's hard to believe that 'bots actually lived through this,' says Optimus. '…And to us, it's just a story. A piece of the past.'

Elita grips his arm, looking absently at a photograph of a ruined skyline. 'Let's hope it stays that way.'

**Imagination**

Optimus can't count the number of transform-ups they've done, and just as they've finished another set, Kup has decided that they need to do a few thousand more. He fully believes that that's why two of his boot camp mates drop out, leaving just him, Sentinel, and Elita.

Kup's drills leave nothing to the imagination.

**Unethical**

Blurr stares down at the smoking Decepticon that Cliffjumper had just shot a hole in.

'…Wasn't that a little unethical?' he asks.

'Was what unethical?' Cliffjumper replies unflinchingly.

**Zenith**

This is the highpoint of everything.

All Optimus can do is question. Will he be accepted? If he isn't, what will he do next? If he is, will he excel or fall behind? What if – if he does get into the academy – he'll drift apart from Sentinel and Elita, who he has become good friends with?

At last Kup comes forward with the results.

'You're all in,' he announces. 'Welcome to the system.'


	6. VI

**Pedestal**

When Optimus first met Sentinel, he had no idea that it was going to be this difficult to be is friend.

If his condescending, holier-than-thou character isn't bad enough, every 'bot still seems to like and admire him. All Optimus has been is "Sentinel's friend" or "that guy who hangs out with Sentinel." Despite Sentinel's good company in hard times, he's still the forerunner.

Optimus guessed that's why he made a promise to beat Sentinel's record at the combat simulator. Maybe if he does that, he could be "Optimus who has the highest score on the combat simulator" and not just "Optimus, Sentinel's friend."

**Obedient**

Sentinel is waiting in their quarters for him.

'What's the prognosis?' Sentinel asks.

'On report,' Optimus states.

'That's not too bad.'

'It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't been put on report because of something _you_ did.'

**If**

'Even if my joints rust up?' Elita asks.

'Always,' Sentinel promises.

'…Even if Optimus finds out?'

'…Let's not think that far ahead.'

**Sure**

Sentinel seems certain that he passed the exams with flying colours.

Optimus looks back and can think of a million things he could do over again.

He wishes he had Sentinel's confidence.

**All-Knowing**

'…You already knew that I was seeing Sentinel?' asks Elita.

'Of course I did,' says Optimus. 'What, you think I never noticed you two sneaking off whenever you thought I wasn't looking?'

'Actually, yes. Well – why didn't you tell us that you knew?'

'Because it was funny.'

**Clean**

'Why are you two cleaning up?' asks Elita, kicking aside some of the debris in Sentinel and Optimus's quarters. 'I thought you liked the mess. "The mess makes it homely," you said!'

'We're not doing it willingly!' Optimus retaliates. '_Kup_ is coming over.'

Panic crosses her faceplate. 'I'll sort everything into piles.'

**Forgiving**

'You do too much for him,' Kup says. He and Optimus are sitting on the edge of a skyscraper, looking down on the city lights below in the dead of night. He was supposed to be back at the dorm an hour ago, but somehow that seems irrelevant. 'You're too emotional and, frankly, gullible. You have to learn to stand up for yourself.'

'But he's my friend!' responds Optimus. 'When he asks for help, what am I going to do – turn him away?'

'Maybe the best thing for Sentinel is that 'bots stop doing everything for him, so he can own up to his mistakes and accept the consequences.'

**Teammates**

They're going to work together. They already know that.

Sentinel, Optimus, and Elita spend the evening in Maccadam's, Kup alongside them, making their grand plans for the future. They're all going to graduate from the Academy before joining the Elite Guard and being a team.

Kup spends the evening listening in silence. His instincts tell him otherwise.


	7. VII

**Short attention span**

'CADET!' All of a sudden, Sentinel's enormous chin is in his face and he immediately stands at attention. 'Tell me what I just said!'

'Well, uh, sir, you, um, said…' Bumblebee struggles to remember something Sentinel just said. Better take a wild guess. 'You said to do whatever you told us to do!'

'…Very good! For a minute there I thought you weren't paying attention.'

'Oh, I wouldn't dream of it…'

**Mouthful**

Often when Blurr speaks, other 'bots look at him with blank expressions and he realizes that he's doing it again.

Cliffjumper didn't do that. Long ago – when they first started training for Intel – they were thrust together due to unfortunate circumstance and Blurr suddenly began to talk about something stupid; he couldn't really recall what it had been about, but it wasn't exactly appropriate for their dire situation and the danger they were in. Most 'bots would've politely tolerated his rambling.

Not Cliffjumper, though, who rolled his eyes, turned, and told him to stuff it.

Blurr never thought that being told to shut up would be a good way to start a friendship.

**Defiant**

'I did it because it was right!' Cliffjumper stated.

That's what he keeps telling 'bots when they ask him why he did it.

Yet, no matter how many times he defends his actions, there's a part of him that doesn't believe what he says.

**Generation**

Optimus has spent the better part of his academy career hearing 'bots talking about his skill and winning personality, about himself, Sentinel, and Elita, about how they were the next generation of heroes. Now Elita is dead, Sentinel has been promoted without his two lifelong comrades, and Optimus…

Well. Now 'bots don't talk about his skill and winning personality.

They talk about how he killed Elita.

**Alienation**

Optimus waits for Sentinel outside the combat simulator, but when his old friend emerges and spots him, he immediately turns his back and takes off.

'Sentinel – ' Optimus pursues him.

'Don't talk to me,' Sentinel waves his servo.

'Sentinel…'

'That's all I'm going to say to you. In my position, I don't think I should be _associating_ with 'bots like _you_. In fact…you're not even supposed to be here, so you better leave before I call security.'

'I wanted to say "sorry."'

Sentinel stops. 'It's too late to say "sorry." Or anything else. Goodbye, Optimus.'

Optimus raises his servo, prepared to try and stop him and try to convince him to talk to him. Only then does he realize that it's hopeless and if Sentinel knows how to do something, it's how to hold a grudge.

He hasn't just lost Elita. He's lost his best friend.

**Meaning**

'I was supposed to get into the Elite Guard!' Bumblebee shouts. 'I was supposed to _mean_ something!'

'You do mean something, Bumblebee,' Bulkhead says, looking a little surprised. 'You stuck up for me back there. That means a lot.'

**Target**

'Is that all you have to report?'

Those are Highbrow's last words. Shockwave remembers them well.

He'd told Highbrow that he had one last thing to report and that was to report that his time was up.

**Trust**

'I don't like the idea of this.'

Ultra Magnus isn't surprised to hear Ratchet say that. 'The Orion needs to get back in action; he doesn't deserve to rot away in a warehouse like this. After all, the Steelhaven is now our flagship.'

'The Orion is known by another name,' Ratchet points out. 'He can't be captained by some _random_ Autobot!'

Ultra Magnus smirks. 'I don't have a random Autobot in mind.'

**END**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm going to end the series here; I _had_ planned to do more, but at this point I've finished venting and I'm satisfied with what I've done.

…This makes this drabble series one of the few things I have ever completed. :3


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